Waterloo continues momentum in newest global rankings

Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) released their 2019 World University Rankings and once again Waterloo finds itself standing amongst the best universities at home and around the world. Building momentum in several subjects and subject areas Waterloo has five subjects ranking among the top 50 universities in the world.

Waterloo ranked at the top globally in Computer Science, 22nd in the world, Hospitality and Leisure Management, 32nd, Mathematics, 43rd, and Engineering and Technology — a broad subject area including chemical, civil, electrical engineering and more — ranked 46th.

“This is one of the most extensive evaluative exercises we conduct, offering universities and their stakeholders alike authoritative insight into the quality of an institution’s capacity to foster outstanding academic standards, research impact, and graduate employability,” said Jack Moran, official QS spokesperson. “The University of Waterloo’s strong record of innovation is well-evidenced here.”

QS, the world's largest international higher education network, ranks the world’s top universities on 48 subjects based on factors like academic reputation, employer reputation, citations per faculty, student-to-faculty ratio, proportion of international faculty, and proportion of international students.

“I am pleased that these rankings show the wide range of excellence in teaching and research that has made the University of Waterloo one of the world's most innovative universities,” said Feridun Hamdullahpur, president and vice-chancellor of Waterloo. “We will continue to ensure our students receive a world-class education from extraordinary researchers who are making a global impact."

Once again clinching first place in all of Canada — a place it’s held three years running — is the Recreation and Leisure Studies program, categorized by QS as, Hospitality and Leisure Management. Globally, it came 32nd among more than 1,100 universities ranked by QS.

"Recognition as the top-ranked Canadian university in the subject area of hospitality and leisure management continues to underscore the remarkable and inspiring work of students and faculty in the Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies,” said Troy D. Glover, professor and chair of the Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies. “I’m truly delighted to know our ongoing and persistent efforts to create, explore and push boundaries position us as one of the world’s top universities in our growing field of inquiry.”

Computer science at Waterloo made a significant jump from 31st to 22nd place in a highly competitive category.

“The QS ranking recognizes the exceptional research and education being delivered by our faculty. It rightly places Waterloo computer science in a league with the most innovative institutions in the world of computing, with an extensive impact in academia and industry,” said Mark Giesbrecht, professor and director of the David R. Cheriton School of Computer Science.

“The continued acknowledgement of our programs reflects the excellence of the Faculty of Mathematics,” said Stephen Watt, dean of mathematics. “Our international reputation is possible because of our high calibre researchers, strong undergraduate and graduate students, and the successes of our alumni.”

Electrical and Computer Engineering vaulted into the top 50. Vincent Gaudet, a professor and chair of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, attributed the impressive rise to its focus on state-of-the-art experimental laboratories and international reputation for a growing number of faculty members.

“We’ve been working hard for many years — at the department level, at the faculty level and at the institutional level — to deliver high-quality programs and do great things, so it’s wonderful to see this recognition,” he said.

All of Waterloo’s six faculties are represented in the QS ranking with 13 subject areas including chemical engineering, civil engineering, geography, psychology, and physics and astronomy landing in the global top 100 overall.